Ulverston International Music Festival

The underlying aim of the 2010 Festival will be to create a truly festive spirit by offering you our audience an intense musical experience with ‘wall-to-wall’ concerts throughout the Festival week.

When I founded the Festival in 2004, my vision was to have a concert on every night of the week over an extended period. I have taken this idea a step further this year with a double bill including a late-night candlelit concert at the atmospheric Lanternhouse – a new venue for us – with music going on until the small hours.

It is my hope that by using more venues we will be giving you the opportunity to savour a large event which takes place all over the town, and that the build up of activities towards the end of the week will generate a sense of momentum and excitement.

Highlights of the programme include my favourite genre over the years: two pianos with Martin Roscoe and myself! I will also be performing Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto with our very own Ulverston Festival Orchestra. This year’s celebrity artist Natalie Clein is a beautifully sensitive and captivating player and we look forward to Wednesday’s thrilling recital which marks her debut at the Festival.

You will have the luxury of hearing Natalie again at closer quarters on the following evening in ‘Chamber Club’, a concert with some more unusual instrumental pieces including a piece for turntable and cello showcasing the prodigious talents of Composer-in-Residence Shiva Feshareki.

The beamed stage area of the Lanternhouse will be the perfect setting for our cross-genre concert: Shakespeare-themed piano music and readings from his plays.

Jazz takes on an extra dimension with an eighteen-piece big band and the ingenious arrangements of Jo McCallum. But it’s not all about international star performers: we will again include both local performers and children in our Choral and Family Concerts, giving the community a sense of involvement in and ownership of the Festival.

Look out also for our very own Festival Brew!

Booking tickets for all Festival events has never been easier, as well as our usual outlets we are now offering on-line booking just follow the links on the website at: http://www.ulverstonmusicfestival.co.uk/